Combination steerable and banking wheel suspension



p 1950 M. M. H. ups 2,521,986

7 COMBINATION STEERABLE AND BANKING WHEEL SUSPENSION Filed July 3, 19462 Sheets-Sheet 1 M. M. H. LIPS COMBINATION STEERABLE AND BANKING WHEELSUSPENSION Filed July 3, 1946 Sgpt. 12, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PatentedSept. 12; 1950 COlVIBINATION'STEERABLE AND nANKnvG WHEEL SUSPENSION-11;.y

Q Section 1,,P ublic Law 690, August 8, 1946 l Patent expires September9, 1964- 2 Claims. (01. zit-s1) This inventionrelates to vehicles of thekind having three or more wheels, at least two of which are located indifierent planesand serve for steering, the axleslof .the said wheelsbeing connected to two frame members which are coupled to one anotherandtothe chassis of the vehicleso that they can execute a substantiallyparallel displacement with respect to the chassis transversely tothelongitudinal central plane of the vehicle without becoming locked, insuch a manner that the said wheels are inclined in the same sense withrespect to the road surface. o V 1 Vehicles of the kind referred to havebeen proposed,..the two steering wheels of which are jointly steerableand are prevented from independent movement. .Such vehicles are based onbicycle design, having a steering column by means of which the saidframe members, together with the steering wheels, are swung round avertical axis in the .manner of a Whipple-tree, anduwhile such a vehicleis less inclined to capsize than an ordinary three-wheeled vehicle, itdoes not have good riding qualities. Further, owing to the frame partsreferred to having to be locked to prevent the wheels from becominginclined atlow speeds, the vehicle may not be sufficiently stable whenbeing ridden if the wheel-base is made very narrow, e. g. so narrow thatthe vehicle can pass through an ordinary door opening.

Bad riding qualities arise for example in the form of long swayingperiods which may result in capsizing and the steeringis hard. Moreover,when turning a corner, the centre of gravity of the vehicle is lowered,whereby the entire weight of the vehicle has to be raised when returningthe steering mechanism to its normal position for travelling in astraight line. Another drawback is that the centre of gravity of thevehicle, particularly when the latter is loaded is on the one hand toohigh and on the other hand is located too far from the axes of thejointly steerable and inclinable wheels. This cannot be overcome becausethe known vehicles are provided with a steering column by means of whichthe wheels are swung around a vertical axis in the manner of aWhipple-tree when turning a corner. In the case of a narrow wheel-base,this arrangement does not leave any room for the accommodation of thedriver or of other loads or fittings between the wheels in question, sothat the centre of gravity of the load is located farther to the rear.The total length available for the accommodation of the driver or ofother loads or fittings is thereby further reduced, so that the heightof the centre of gravity tends to rise also. Further, the steeringmotion referred to causes the stability of the vehicle to decrease whenrounding a curve by reducing the effective wheel-base. Moreover, asteering head structure soon becomes loose and unreliable and thesteering moments are excessive, so that the-stability v of directionwhile riding the'vehicle is alsopo'or.

A greater drawback, however, is that the plane, of the parallelogramcarrying. the wheels,.which is the plane wherein the wheels areinclined, does not remain at right angles to the vertical centrallongitudinal plane of the vehicle, which has a bad influence on theriding qualities thereof.- The result is namely that the rider does nothave a proper sense of equilibrium, more'particularlysincetheinclination of the steering column and. the vehicle when rounding a.curve does not correspond to the inclination of the wheels.

Vehicles of the kind referred to have also been proposed, in whichtheaxles of the, steering wheels are pivotally mounted on the said framethe rider, whereby-the wheels swivel automatically by castor action.This arrangement does not promote a proper balance, for which pur-= posethe swivelling of the wheels should beefiected without constraint andunder the con-' trol of the rider as when riding a bicycle, in

- accordance with the radiusof the curve to berounded and the speed oftravel, and not as a result of the tilting of the wheels. Further, thereis also the possibility of the wheels swivelling of their own accord andstarting to shimmy.

The present invention has for its object to remove the drawbacks abovementioned, and with this object in view, the invention consists in avehicle of the kind referred to, in which the axles of the steeringwheels are pivotally connected to the frame members adapted to executethe parallel displacement in such a manner that the wheels can swivelwith respect to the latter, the said axles being operatively connectedto a steering control member operated by the driver so as to enable thesteering wheels to be swivelled jointly by the said control member foreffecting the steering. By this means, not only does the wheel-baseremain constant at all times but space between the steering wheelsbecomes available for accommodating part of the load, so

Fig. l is a side elevation of a constructional.

form of a complete vehicle according to theinvention, with coachwork,

Fig. 2 is a front end view of the vehicle,

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of thechassis-ande l v 5 Fig. 4 is a front endView of thechassis; partly in transverse section.

. .'fil4-....- .L

4 3, which is mounted in the resilient fork 22, will also assume aninclined position. The vehicle is therefore ridden in the manner of a:bicycle.

The axles sand I are provided with arms 23 and it, being thusconstructedas steeringi swivels as is usual in the case of stub-axle steeringheads.

The arms 23 and 2e are connected to steering rods 25 and 26 which act ina similar manner to swivel arrangement.

thetrack rod in the case of the normal steering The rods 25, 26 areconnected to projections of a steering spindle 21 'member I5.

Referring to the drawings, the vehielej i'sjsuplported upon two frontwheels I, 2 and a rear wheel 3 which is driven by a motor (stern'motor-)- The frame of the chassismonsists in the main of a-..central;.:longitndinalirtubiilan member ALupon which:thebodyisimountedii Thet-bodyiiisastream lined: withea relativelyzloaufiiontnend :and rear end-gandvhas :inithe' middle iacap 15 providedwith.

glassipanesi. Ereferably .access to.thevehicle; is

ohtaineduby constructing ittsosasto enable the:

uppenpartthereof to be l-opened like ai lid...;

Eachof thezawheels J and 2; -W11ich like 'the reamwheeltkarefittedxwithwrubber tyres; turns oman;.axle- .6;1T, respectively; thesaid:v axles being ordinary]. antomobilez axles: witha hall. i bearings;Eachot the axlestterminates in alvertical bearingsocketawhicha-encircles awentical -king pint. The. kingipins:formi-partimfhupnighh .framezmembers 9Liand tflzwhiohinaturniform theuprightsides oft' a..- pa.rallelogram tthe: otherisides of which areformed. leaf springsi 1 1 and 1 I 2; Tha springs Ill. and: {rareslightlyzcamberedz The theoretical. sidesaof the parallelogram arerepresented hythe dotted; lines'. l3 Land Mi: whem-ithe: vehicle isloadedrthe springs M1 and. Ii approach-these lines; Theisprings-J he!ztare pivotally connectedzat. theinccentr'esi;atntherpointsaifi and 11*: to rassupe nortingimemhen wet-The :endsmf '.i1rle..sp1ings.- l i;,-.I liarestalsoi. .pivotally connected; to the upright.framememherssgalfll; Theecentral tuhulsmmems hen-.4 ofithe frameisrigidlylconnectcditmthe:supe pox in tmemben L5; when: the vehicle-iibeing;ridd8n;L'the 1.WhB61SI I; and zicamassume m'inclinedspositiomas=.a ee-,7 it. of theaparallelogrami structure; for: instanceaccordinalto theiinesilil and 2th,. Ti lman--supporting; member; l 5;willzassumei asposit-iem parallehtoxthe; said linesso that the-,-bo dy.ef the vehicle will-also... become ineli d; C ns qu ntly he-rrear.wheel.

which; is rotatably mounted in the supporting The steering spindle 21can be turned-with the aid of linkage 2B which is connected to thesteering device 29 to which a steeringwheel orhandles 30 are attached.What I claim is:

l. A vehicle having at least three wheels, at

leasttwo of which are located symmetrically of the longitudinal axis of.the vehicle, comprising apair ofiopposite membersitoaeaehiofiwhielizoneoiathe:svmmetricallyxlooated wheels isrconnected'; ae-secondtpair. of:opposite: members: horizontalz memhersaextending :in: the? transverse.

clirection of the vehicle onevabovet the othema nds pivotally-connectedintheeorners 'ofc'a paralleloz+- gram formedibyallafonn'members; aframefmermber; the second-mentioned memhersi. eachgbeiiigs; pivotallyconnected; in: (its centreiz't'oa said frame; member so as to cause-thesaidi'frame members to move-parallebwith the: said Wheels-transverselytothe vertical longitudinal; central plane ofilthe vehicle and to andfrom inclined positions witlit respectvtoathe@road. surface-, andvmeans-Tommienesting-the axles of.the.twor symmetricaliwheels};

to :tiie first; mentionedmembers: ofithe:-.paralleIdagramufor pivotalimovement about 'anu upright? axis topermittswivelling ontliea.-wheels2for steering purposesgthe said axlesibeing operativelyconet nected tox av steering: control mechanis'mwto en-a able ajointswivellin'gsteering-motion; 2. A- vehicleaccording to clain n l in whiehthe secondementioned members-4 of the paraIlelb gram: are eachleaffspringmembers.- I NTAXIMIIJAAN MARM 'HENDRlKUS UPS?-REEERENCES'TGITED I I The following references" are of recordf'inrftheUNITED STATES PATENTS;

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